Seabourn quest vs Oceania Nautica - which cruise to choose?

[Wieb]

Hi,

 

This is a typical vs. question i know. i know. looking for opinions though.

 

The story:

Looking for a cruise in the northern hemisphere in august that lasts about 3 weeks. a bit of a last minute departure i know. So I found 2 candidates:

 

a) 20 days on the Oceania Nautica called the path of the midnight sun and touring basically the Norwegian Fjords with turnaround in Murmansk and a sail over spitsbergen.

 

b) 24 days on the Seabourn Quest called route of the Vikings and basically sailing from Britain to Canada via Iceland and Greenland.

 

Hence I have never cruised (considered many times, but never actually left) I would gladly get some input and opinions.

 

- What kind of people can I expect on those both cruises? And on which of the two sails the more quirky ones? :D I do know I should expect a more mature crowd on both ships even though I will be turning 36 on either of these cruises. so very young... :cool: But I am not inquiring about their age, more style, character, interests, atmosphere... of the passengers, if you get my drift.

 

- I am going solo.what kind of supplement can I expect and is there a big difference between S or O? I cannot find information on Seabourn supplement, but oceania mentions on their website it is 200%!!!! Also which option is in general better for Solo girls (note: not single!).

 

- I am a heavy drinker (kidding) but I do like a cocktail... and my glas of champagne... and wine with my dinner please and why not also at lunch and.... and... How expensive is drinking on oceania? I understood it is included in Seabourn. However, I do NOT like drunken people around me 24/7. Is this something to be weary about when drinks are included?

 

- I understood Oceania is considered "premium" while Seabourn is considered "luxury". Is this a big difference and how does it show?

 

- On Oceania I would take a deluxe sea view room clocking in at 285 euro a day (best available room). On Seabourn i would take a Veranda Suite at 395 euro a day (least expensive available room). So it is hard to compare as one is a stateroom and one is a suite with balcony. one includes more than the other. In general the question is on which cruise do I get best value for money in relation to accommodation. it is also not taken into account single supplement.

 

- I am going to relax and a see a few new things on the way. The Seabourn journey has 10 sea days, Oceania 6. How fatiguing is a port intensive cruise? I am essentially a lazy person and I enjoy doing nothing, or nothing much... I know one is not obliged to go on the excursions, but I know I would feel bad about skipping port calls to places I havent been too.

 

Ill post the same question on the oceania board too...

 

looking forward to some input for you well seasoned cruise folks...

 

elke

[markham]

Not having been on Oceania, I don't know much about it- apart from banter that it is hardly in the same class across many categories as that of Seabourn.

 

I am responding because I would be surprised if that Seabourn cruise has any space at all. It is very popular.

 

Good luck and have a great cruise!

[Nigella]

 

I am responding because I would be surprised if that Seabourn cruise has any space at all. It is very popular.

 

Good luck and have a great cruise!

 

My thoughts exactly! We've missed out on the Routes cruise twice in previous years because we didn't book early enough.

 

OP, I can't talk about Oceania either having never cruised with them.

On Seabourn most guests, particularly on the itinerary you're considering, will be at least aged 50+. You will certainly be one of the youngest guests. I haven't noticed other guests being especially quirky ;), but they are generally quite friendly, well travelled, intelligent, sophisticated people.

Despite the free flowing alcohol I have yet to see drunkenness causing a problem. The atmosphere onboard is generally one of casual elegance, so no obvious partying or bad behaviour.

 

Finally, I'm curious about the quoted EUR395 per day, which is very reasonable for the cruise you have in mind. I suspect the single supplement will almost double that. If a TA has quoted this, I think your first priority is to ask him or her to get you an accurate cost for a solo traveller.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Nigella

[Nigella]

Just as an aside, Routes of the Vikings does still have availability for this year's sailing. The dates won't work for us unfortunately, but as noted earlier, this cruise is usually an early sell-out.

[secoma4]

Oceania Nautical has about 200 more pax than Sojourn.

 

The Path of Vikings itinerary is terrific. We did it 3 years ago and would do it again. The sea days are interesting and places like Iceland outstanding.

 

Bear in mind that on Seabourn ALL of you cocktails etc are included and it sounds like you will quickly make up the difference on this front alone.

 

The passenger mix we found to be good and your age (lack of) won't be any issue. And you are unlikely to have kids on board.

 

Not sure if you have factored in the cost of doing this solo?

 

The other point is that all f the suites are basically the same on Seabourn.

 

If you can get a berth on this cruise at an affordable price take it.

[fairbourne]

Hi Elke

 

We have sailed both the Seabourn Quest and on the Oceania regatta which is the exact same ship as the Oceania Nautica.

 

Both have their good points, but if we had to choose on a similar itinerary, we would choose Seabourn.

 

Why?

 

Fewer passengers on the same size ship and you do notice the extra 50%!

 

Seabourn square - fabulous spot and a great innovation.

 

Food - subjective, both lines very good - Oceania has a reputation for their food being the "best at sea" - they do offer more choice of eating venues, but I really don't think their food is any better or worse than Seabourn. You can have great and on occasion, not so good on both! Like I say subjective.

 

The staterooms on Seabourn are bigger sq ft than a standard stateroom on Oceania - we had a penthouse on the Regatta and found it matched the size of a verandah on Seabourn. I would not recommend a lower grade stateroom on Oceania as they really are quite small, but maybe ok for a single traveller.

Staterooms on both are well furnished and the beds very comfortable on both.

 

Butler service on Oceania is a definite plus for us and we were very well looked after by both butlers we have had.

 

Officers and crew - Seabourn wins hands down! no question. We loved the interaction and friendliness with the Seabourn officers and crew led by the great Captain Magnus when we were on the Quest Maiden TA a couple of years ago! I will give you an example - the officers were highly visible on Seabourn, would say "hello", host tables for dinner etc., just be "seen" around the ship - you will not find that on Oceania. We saw the captains on Oceania maybe once or twice and officers would pass you by without as much as a nod! Now we do not need to have interaction with anyone to enjoy our holiday, but to me this is just a bit strange! So for a single traveller, Seabourn would win hands down with their hosted tables which are great fun (we certainly enjoyed our invites).

 

We usually don't bother with evening entertainment much preferring to enjoy a later dinner a deux or with our new best friends! We don't do trivia either!

 

Smoking - better policy on Oceania for us non-smokers, but to be honest, we never found it an issue on Seabourn except for one guy smoking cigars on deck,which he is allowed to do, but the smoke drifts, if you catch my drift! We just learnt to avoid the smoking areas, as we did on Oceania.

 

Drinks inclusive - the DH took the drinks package on Regatta but not all drinks are included, such as top shelf spirits and some wines. Much more convenient I think the Seabourn way. I don't drink, so some would say I "pay" for others imbibing, but I don't! So if you take the drinks package, then add the gratuities (which are included on Seabourn), the base cost of your cruise on O starts to add up.

 

Sea days - I'm like you, I love being lazy and we love sea days - another thing Seabourn has is "on demand" movies in the stateroom TV - perfect for a truly lazy day with room service! This was also where Seabourn square came into its own! you could always find someone to chat to there if you wanted or just pop along for a coffee , milkshake, yet another delicious morsel .... You get the picture! But in fairness, Oceania has Baristas which offers coffees and small bites too, and on the regatta, a lovely library. There seemed to be fewer spaces outside your stateroom on the regatta to go for a change.

 

Pool service much better on Seabourn, staff more visible, but of course, they don't have to "sell" you a drink on Seabourn! They bring you drinks and cocktails on Seabourn regularly, along with towels to freshen up with, clean your sunglasses etc. On Oceania, those cocktails would be on a trolley to buy.

 

Value for money, Oceania is hard to beat - but just be aware of the few small issues I've mentioned above. First world problems really! ;):).

 

Oh and I must just say, we did prefer the passenger mix and atmosphere on Seabourn also. You will be amongst the youngest though, but there are some older Seabourn sailers out there who will most definitely give you a run for your money!!! How ya doing Miss M??? :D

 

So, to summarise, Seabourn would be our first choice, but if they didn't offer an itinerary that we wanted to do, we would choose Oceania.

[Wieb]

wow... thanks.

 

the quote comes from their own website: price for the cruise divided by amount of days. and no, no single supplement which is one thing I am trying to find out. travel agents here for luxury cruises are RARE. anybody good online TA they would recommend?

 

and indeed the viking trail seems to be the only Seabourn cruise available. I am a last minute decider... and the return flight on that one is not high on my list of lovely things to do. (I hate flying) I also noticed that some online travel sites still have spaces available for other Seabourn cruises and I wonder.... can one trust these seemingly crappy sites?

[Nigella]

wow... thanks.

 

the quote comes from their own website: price for the cruise divided by amount of days. and no, no single supplement which is one thing I am trying to find out. travel agents here for luxury cruises are RARE. anybody good online TA they would recommend?

 

and indeed the viking trail seems to be the only Seabourn cruise available. I am a last minute decider... and the return flight on that one is not high on my list of lovely things to do. (I hate flying) I also noticed that some online travel sites still have spaces available for other Seabourn cruises and I wonder.... can one trust these seemingly crappy sites?

 

I'm pretty sure that you're going to find the single supplement on SB is similar to Oceania. For example, the fares on the UK SB site are all per person, "based on two people sharing" .

I don't know which version of the SB site you're looking at, for example in the UK the cruises are priced differently between the UK and the US sites. So do look into the supplement as soon as possible for an accurate fare. To get the fares advertised on the US site you may have the option of using an agent who is in the US. We had some quotes a couple of years ago from a US agent who was happy to handle our reservation, but in the end we chose a UK agent instead.

 

It's against CC rules to recommend TA's unfortunately, nor are we allowed to discuss those other online sites. There's a section on the Seabourn website 'Locate a travel adivsor'. I just clicked on it, told it I was resident in Finland and it directed me to a European TA.

 

Availability is showing on lots of SB cruises this summer if you look at their own website. There's lots of choice in the Mediterreanean, and several in Scandinavia and the Baltic, although I appreciate your interest may be minimal in the latter given your own location. :)

[Nigella]

Hi Elke

 

We have sailed both the Seabourn Quest and on the Oceania regatta which is the exact same ship as the Oceania Nautica.

 

Both have their good points, but if we had to choose on a similar itinerary, we would choose Seabourn.

 

Why?

 

Fewer passengers on the same size ship and you do notice the extra 50%!

 

Seabourn square - fabulous spot and a great innovation.

 

Food - subjective, both lines very good - Oceania has a reputation for their food being the "best at sea" - they do offer more choice of eating venues, but I really don't think their food is any better or worse than Seabourn. You can have great and on occasion, not so good on both! Like I say subjective.

 

The staterooms on Seabourn are bigger sq ft than a standard stateroom on Oceania - we had a penthouse on the Regatta and found it matched the size of a verandah on Seabourn. I would not recommend a lower grade stateroom on Oceania as they really are quite small, but maybe ok for a single traveller.

Staterooms on both are well furnished and the beds very comfortable on both.

 

Butler service on Oceania is a definite plus for us and we were very well looked after by both butlers we have had.

 

Officers and crew - Seabourn wins hands down! no question. We loved the interaction and friendliness with the Seabourn officers and crew led by the great Captain Magnus when we were on the Quest Maiden TA a couple of years ago! I will give you an example - the officers were highly visible on Seabourn, would say "hello", host tables for dinner etc., just be "seen" around the ship - you will not find that on Oceania. We saw the captains on Oceania maybe once or twice and officers would pass you by without as much as a nod! Now we do not need to have interaction with anyone to enjoy our holiday, but to me this is just a bit strange! So for a single traveller, Seabourn would win hands down with their hosted tables which are great fun (we certainly enjoyed our invites).

 

We usually don't bother with evening entertainment much preferring to enjoy a later dinner a deux or with our new best friends! We don't do trivia either!

 

Smoking - better policy on Oceania for us non-smokers, but to be honest, we never found it an issue on Seabourn except for one guy smoking cigars on deck,which he is allowed to do, but the smoke drifts, if you catch my drift! We just learnt to avoid the smoking areas, as we did on Oceania.

 

Drinks inclusive - the DH took the drinks package on Regatta but not all drinks are included, such as top shelf spirits and some wines. Much more convenient I think the Seabourn way. I don't drink, so some would say I "pay" for others imbibing, but I don't! So if you take the drinks package, then add the gratuities (which are included on Seabourn), the base cost of your cruise on O starts to add up.

 

Sea days - I'm like you, I love being lazy and we love sea days - another thing Seabourn has is "on demand" movies in the stateroom TV - perfect for a truly lazy day with room service! This was also where Seabourn square came into its own! you could always find someone to chat to there if you wanted or just pop along for a coffee , milkshake, yet another delicious morsel .... You get the picture! But in fairness, Oceania has Baristas which offers coffees and small bites too, and on the regatta, a lovely library. There seemed to be fewer spaces outside your stateroom on the regatta to go for a change.

 

Pool service much better on Seabourn, staff more visible, but of course, they don't have to "sell" you a drink on Seabourn! They bring you drinks and cocktails on Seabourn regularly, along with towels to freshen up with, clean your sunglasses etc. On Oceania, those cocktails would be on a trolley to buy.

 

Value for money, Oceania is hard to beat - but just be aware of the few small issues I've mentioned above. First world problems really! ;):).

 

Oh and I must just say, we did prefer the passenger mix and atmosphere on Seabourn also. You will be amongst the youngest though, but there are some older Seabourn sailers out there who will most definitely give you a run for your money!!! How ya doing Miss M??? :D

 

So, to summarise, Seabourn would be our first choice, but if they didn't offer an itinerary that we wanted to do, we would choose Oceania.

 

Fairbourne, thanks for a balanced view comparing the two. It's nice to see you posting too. Did you know that those shrimps are no longer served on SB ?

[Wieb]

yes I noticed that remark... sigh. solo travel doesn't seem to go down well with cruise ships. anyway thanks for the tip ill see if i can find some way to find a reliable online agent.

 

and thanks to fairbourne I am considering more and more to skip oceania and see if I can secure a place on a seabourne cruise...

Edited June 16, 2014 by Wieb

[fairbourne]

Fairbourne, thanks for a balanced view comparing the two. It's nice to see you posting too. Did you know that those shrimps are no longer served on SB ?

 

Hi Nigella - thanks!:). Heck no, I didn't! Well, I'm not really surprised as there was a but of a furore about the farming of these shrimp ..... Now that does remind me that in the Terrace on Oceania they do have a grill section, so you can choose most cuts of beef (not a red meat eater so limited knowledge) but I have it on good authority that they do a mean fillet, and there are always lobster tails up there. We only went up there a couple of times for dinner, as I much prefer my dinner served to me, but the lobsters tails were pretty good.

 

I have one very fond memory of That Seabourn TA. We and a group of friends has gone up to the pool deck for dinner only to find no space at the inn - lovely balmy evening mid-Atlantic - and all desperate for some of those little beggars.

 

So off we trooped to the grand dining room and I asked the rather handsome F&B manager if we could possibly have some of those "down here" as we couldn't get a table up on the pool deck. No, he said shaking his head, we don't serve them here.

 

Oh well, I thought no harm in asking, and it was a bit of a cheek really! So I took my toddler sulky lip off to our table ..... However, about 10 minutes later, in he marches very quickly in, carrying a very large cloched platter, and places it expertly right in front of me on the table and simply said "enjoy Madame". Oh boy, I have never seen 6 forks move so quickly in all my life! LOL! No-one said a word, and they were all gone before anyone else sitting round and about noticed! Oh the joys! :D

[barcrab]

I think the advantages of each have been covered very well. We have traveled on both ships and I would definitely choose Seabourn, especially if I were going solo. The atmosphere is very warm and easy to meet people especially in the observation lounge. The size of the ship is "perfect" in my opinion.

[fairbourne]

yes I noticed that remark... sigh. solo travel doesn't seem to go down well with cruise ships. anyway thanks for the tip ill see if i can find some way to find a reliable online agent.

 

and thanks to fairbourne I am considering more and more to skip oceania and see if I can secure a place on a seabourne cruise...

 

I personally would look for a travel agent who specialises in the luxury cruise market - google is your friend in the UK.

 

Good luck with whichever you choose, and I'm sure you will enjoy both but just have different expectations. :)

 

The other most important thing I forgot to mention earlier is that Oceania have no formal nights at all. Country club casual dress code, whatever that means to each and every one of us! And believe me it is interpreted very loosely indeed by some. Now I don't want to start a dress code war, just saying .... Anyway we enjoy formal nights and with lots of sea days, it's great to have the time to get ready for the evening, with no rushing around. But on a port intensive cruise as we did to Alaska, we were quite tired after our excursions and happy to just be smartly dressed without the froo froo of a formal night. But oh I do love to see the boys in black tie and my DH in his trews! And before Wripro comes along, I know it's formal optional! ;-) :-))

Edited June 16, 2014 by fairbourne

[josephone]

Take a look at SilverSea. I think they have reduced their single supplement. A Travel Agent would really help you sort this out!

 

Enjoy the trip!

[Jim Avery]

I would also recommend going with Seabourn. As has been mentioned above, the included spirits on SB quickly makes up for the difference in price. We like to drink as well and the 110 Euros/day difference in price would disappear quickly.:eek::D And as far as drunks, it has never been a problem for us on any of the all inclusive lines. For the most part, when you decide to travel at this level, you have learned to drink what you wish but also to be in some semblance of control. The itinerary sounds great. Wish we had the time opening to go with you!:D

[wripro]

I would recommend getting a good TA to advise you.

[jenidallas]

- What kind of people can I expect on those both cruises? And on which of the two sails the more quirky ones? :D I do know I should expect a more mature crowd on both ships even though I will be turning 36 on either of these cruises. so very young... :cool: But I am not inquiring about their age, more style, character, interests, atmosphere... of the passengers, if you get my drift.

 

Elke - In terms of quirky (character, style, interests, atmosphere), I've had a delightful time on Seabourn and I'm only a few years older than you. Enough of a delightful time that after cruising with one friend, I've now roped another single gal friend into cruising too.

 

While my friend and I usually find ourselves on the younger end of the passenger list, I've found most passengers to be very social and the staff seem to also do a great job of finding interesting people to seat you with at dinner or making introductions.

 

I could easily see myself sailing solo on Seabourn but it's always nice to know people too. I've met people in advance on the roll call each time and have ended up staying in touch with many of them!

[Skeezics]

Last summer did the "Midnight Sun" on Oceania Nautica.....was not a wonderful experience....in fact we traveled with another couple and both agreed would not sail on the line again...just a personal preference. I do not consider Oceania a "luxury" line. Crowded buffet in morning and lunch...poor service in the main dining room...waited for ever for service. Found the ship really understaffed. The "happy hour everyday from 5-6 was a nightmare. Had to adjust our times as to not have to fight the hordes that descended upon the public areas for their half priced cocktail.

 

Have sailed Seabourn three times...the last being the Odyssey (sister to Quest). Nothing but raves about the ship and the cruise line. Are booked again for December.

 

Pick Seabourn, you will not be sorry!

[2SailingNomads]

We have looked at this cruise for several years and will finally be doing it this year, timing in prior years did not work for us. (Now counting the days untill we embark!). Other posters have made the case for Seabourn and I'll echo that. We too like to have a few drinks, no issues w/ getting service and unless you must have high end (I love certain spirits that either are not available / included but can live w/ out them while on-board) you should be happy w/ Seabourn. Their included Vodka selection is quite good as is the Scotch. The paid wine list is very reasonable if you want to order from it if you can't find something from the complimentary list on any given night. No 200% markup like many land restaurants or some other lines that we've looked at.

 

I've not sailed on Oceania but have met a few folks who have sailed on both and all said they prefer Seabourn. (One time we were on a shuttle from the ship to the port and it stopped to pick up some people from an Oceania ship that was also in-port: we had a conversation w/ a couple from Oceania who told us they envied us having been on SB before - again we've not sailed Oceania so I can't compare, just relate what I've heard),

 

The staff / service on SB really are exceptional - they honestly make the effort to get to know you and your preferences, food is good to very good (realistically we are at sea, can't fly in fresh XXX everyday) and fellow pax are almost always interesting folks you're happy to meet and get to know better. Almost every cruise we've done we've met people we regularly correspond with and for the most part no one cares if you have 1 day or 2500 days on-board. (We have friends who have many days on-board and I've seen them talk to first-timers so there is no "not worthy" attitude among your fellow pax).

 

Hope to see you on-board!

Edited June 21, 2014 by 2SailingNomads
Correct spelling

[Emperor Norton]

When I was on Oceania I believe it was ~59 USD per day per person for the drinks package. I felt the Seabourn Sky bar was better stocked (than the Oceania waves bar) and service was much faster because people didn't constantly have to produce their cards.

 

In theory with the Oceania beverage package you sit down, order, give them you card and they start a tab. In reality each different server you interact with will ask for you card. Their computers couldn't handle keeping tabs open or splitting them between service. This became problematic during trivia when on a record night I think between pre-during-post game drinks our section had four different servers. Card goes out and comes back four times.

 

The food my Oceania cruise might have been from premier suppliers but it was cooked (with a single exception) by Hells Kitchen failures. Jacques was a raging disappointment. Food never arrived warm and if there was oil involved it was swimming in it. The steak house prime rib was freezer burned. Red Ginger - the miso sea bass was interesting, the rest seemed to be missing something. The Italian restaurant was OK. The GDR service was slow for food and slower for drinks. One night after waiting 45 minutes I had to hunt down the wine steward to get my bill. Breakfast was interesting. On day 1 I ordered Eggs Benedict. After being delivered the waiter stood there and stared at my plate. I got a sinking feeling and cut into my egg. It was hard boiled. Later the waiter explained that the kitchen so routinely messed up egg orders that it was faster to wait for the passenger to take a bite and reject it than to leave, come back and take it back for a re-do.

 

The buffet. There's a former poster on this forum who routinely referred to the Colonnade on Seabourn as a zoo. I've never been on an Odyssey class ship so I can't say I've seen it. However on an Oceania ship I have. It was as mess. People cutting in line, trying to grab things with their bare hands, attempting to steal tables from others.

 

Waves grill - they have a menu posted but more often than not wouldn't follow it. If a hot dog was supposed to come say chicago style (as an example) they'd tell you to find the condiments and add them yourself. Also the burgers here were always a few steps beyond well done.

 

The shake place next to waves - aside from the lines (again with cutting) this wasn't too bad.

 

The only restaurant on the ship that I felt lived up to reputation was the Wine Spectator sponsored one. The food here was of very high quality, prepared correctly, and served at the correct temperature. The wine pairings I felt for the most part were spot on.

 

I joke now that on my Oceania cruise if there was a bad dish to be ordered I found it and if a crew member was having a bad day I wound up with them.

 

So Id say go for Seabourn.

[wripro]

I think you just had some bad luck On Oceania. Normally the food is excellent.

[mgfraser]

My wife and I and another couple just finished a three week cruise on Seabourn (our first). We spent two weeks doing the Norway coast and a week in the Baltic with the hit being St. Petersburg. We have also done two cruises with Oceania.

 

We believe the food & service is superior on Seabourn, and of course alcoholic drinks are included on Seabourn. You also have a wonderful stateroom on Seabourn. certainly better than Oceania's small ships.

 

If there is a not great deal of difference on price, Seabourn in my opinion is much better.

 

Regards,

 

Malcolm

[kiawahdon]

My wife and I and another couple just finished a three week cruise on Seabourn (our first). We spent two weeks doing the Norway coast and a week in the Baltic with the hit being St. Petersburg. We have also done two cruises with Oceania.

 

We believe the food & service is superior on Seabourn, and of course alcoholic drinks are included on Seabourn. You also have a wonderful stateroom on Seabourn. certainly better than Oceania's small ships.

 

If there is a not great deal of difference on price, Seabourn in my opinion is much better.

 

Regards,

 

Malcolm

If you have really been on Oceania, you would quickly realize that Saebourn's largest ship is about 50% smaller than Oceania's smallest ship.

[mgfraser]

Oceania's smallest ship weighs 30,277 tons, dimensions 181x26 (m)

 

The Seabourn Quest weighs 32000 tons, dimensions 198x26 (m)

 

Above are the dimensions of the two ships, physically the Quest is larger in weight and length.

 

In passenger capacity the Quest is 450.

Oceania small ships passenger capacity is 684

 

Your 50% relates to number of passengers carried but in fact the Quest (physically) is a slightly larger (in weight & length) ship.

 

With repect to your first statement "If you have really been on Oceania...", members of this board generally believe what people state about there cruise experience. Since you have no basis in fact for making this innuendo I can only assume you lack simple manners.

 

Malcolm

[Mr Luxury]

If you have really been on Oceania, you would quickly realize that Saebourn's largest ship is about 50% smaller than Oceania's smallest ship.

 

 

Oh dear,

An apology would be good here:rolleyes: